Swept Away
by Soraia
Summary: Inside everyone lies dreams unheard of and desires unknown. Aubrey was completely unaware of the things locked deep in her heart, but an enchantment will soon show her the truth.
1. Chapter One

**Swept Away**

Author: Soraia

Spoilers: NW Series

Rating: Pretty PG. We'll see how it goes.

Disclaimer: Not only do I not own any of the concepts of the Night World series, but I'm also quite broke. Everything belongs to LJS, original characters are my own.

Summary: Inside everyone lies dreams unheard of and desires unknown. Aubrey was completely unaware of the things locked deep in her heart, but an enchantment will soon show her the truth.

Thanks: Rhiannon for being my beta and for the fantastic quote; Incanto for setting me on the path of a title.

* * *

"There are two great tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants. The other is getting it."

_- Mr. Dumby, 'Lady Windermere's Fan', Oscar Wilde_

* * *

  
  
Chapter One

Aubrey was surrounded by the red and gold brilliance of the mid-October foliage. The giant redwoods, Jeffrey pines and mountain ash were dropping needles and leaves over everything in sight. It was almost as if the Sierra Nevada College campus had been engulfed with a passionate fire, slowly immersing the buildings and the landscape, blazing boldly in contrast to the white peaked mountains in the distance.

But there was no fire and the dry cold was pulling at Aubrey Sheffield's skin. She gathered herself further into the Old Navy polar fleece she had thrown on hastily on her way out of the apartment. It was an unusually cold morning with dreary cloud cover. She hoped that the weather forecast had been accurate when it had promised for sunshine this afternoon. Not that it was vital to her plan, but it would help.

The landscape of Incline Village, Nevada, was simply awe-inspiring. She'd lived here ever since the death of her mother and had never quite gotten over how beautiful it was. Even at the age of six, when she had first been brought here to live with her aunt, she knew it had to be one of the most beautiful places in the world, and she never intended on leaving. Her friends were here, and with the exception of the father that had left before she was even born, the only family she had was here, as well. Even if the woman was detestable and overly critical, she was family, and the only known relation Aubrey had left in the world.

She saw the sign for the North Lake Tahoe Demonstration Garden in the distance and quickened her step. She knew the others would already be there. They were always so punctual, while Aubrey had a knack for appearing fashionably late. Stray strands of hair were blown into her vision by the breeze as she rounded the first corner. In front of her was a group of four teenagers, looking around expectantly and checking their watches. She hurried the rest of the way, receiving mock glares.

"Sorry," she said quickly. "I had to go back and grab something."

Smiling sheepishly, she looked around the group, taking in each of them to see their responses: Heather McGrath, with cropped red curls and eyes that glittered like the Pacific, attempting a look of disappointment; Althea Bay, her hip-length raven hair pulled back and wearing a sinister smile, widening her lilac eyes; Dilys Randal, showing off café au lait skin despite the cold, playing with her butterscotch tresses; Jonathan Austen, the cool, quiet guy of the group—because every group needed a distant guy—nodding his head, tawny, dishevelled hair falling over dark eyes. This was her group of best friends, the people she had been closest to for most of her life. Only one person was missing, but he wasn't invited to this meeting.

"Do you have the key?" Heather asked quietly, as if somebody could be listening in on them.

Aubrey nodded. "That's what I had to go back for." She pulled out a lone gold key on a silver chain. She looked toward Dilys. "Did you bring everything else?"

Taking her hands away from her hair, Dilys exchanged a mischievous smile with Althea before replying. "You bet. We worked on it all night. Everything's in the car."

Aubrey couldn't imagine why it would have taken all night, but went on anyway. "Alright, you guys, this is it. We'll go over the new plan I came up with this morning in Lit, and then we'll head over." Focusing on Althea, she asked, "Are you sure we won't run into him here?"

Althea nodded. "He wouldn't come here. There's too much . . . _plant life_." She said the words sarcastically as she stared off into a group of Birches.

Aubrey raised an eyebrow. "As long as you're sure." She took one last glance around her before turning to address the rest of the group. "Alright, here's the plan . . ."

* * *

She could see a sunbeam peaking out from one of the curtains in the disorderly dorm room. A slight feeling of relief washed over her mind. The forecast had been correct.

"Okay," Aubrey said, facing the team behind her. "You all know your cues. Just wait until he has stepped into the room and has shut the door before you make any move. There won't be any time for hesitation after my word. Got it?" Nods came from the four surrounding teens.

She saw a slight twitch in Dilys's face. "He's coming up the hall," she whispered, her shining, saffron-coloured eyes growing wide.

Aubrey scanned the other girl. _How does she do that?_ she thought to herself, nodding and turning back to the group. Putting a finger to her lips, she moved silently to stand behind the partition that separated the entrance from the study area as everyone else went to take their places. She had to be at the front of this attack; this was her mission. With one last glance, she saw that the group was well hidden and ready to pounce.

She heard the key in the door and the turn of the deadbolt. She felt the vibration of the door pulling away from the jamb through the mass-produced, plasterboard wall. _Almost there_, she thought to herself. Out of the corner of her eye she saw light from the hallway spread across the floor. With growing anticipation, she held her breath until the light receded and she heard the click of the spring latch on the scratch plate. She put on her most arrogant smile, allowing her eyelids to fall lazily over aquamarine orbs, and waited one moment to make sure that he was actually in the room before she turned.

She saw alarm cross his face. Crimson light coming through the dark curtains around the room turned his short, champagne-blond hair a fiery orange and touched his gallant features, causing her heart to catch. She didn't let it show. She just watched as his backpack fell to the floor.

"What are you doing here?" he said, his voice filled with both wonder and dread. His attack muscles relaxed slightly.

The corner of her mouth twitched, giving her what she knew must be a very self-important smirk. With as much haughtiness as she could gather, she breathed, "Surprise."

With that one word, the room was flooded with early-afternoon sun as curtains were thrown open. Dark shadows rose around the room, backing the guy up against the door. Aubrey felt a droplet of pity for him as he cringed from the light, until she remembered why she was there.

"This is about revenge," she said out loud, crowding him into a corner. He was completely defenceless, but that didn't matter. He wouldn't try to hurt her if he could. He was the—she scowled at the thought—_brotherly_ type. "This is payback for what you did to me six months ago."

She turned quickly to the closest shadow behind her. "Althea, press the button."

With a maniacal grin that could seduce a god, Althea lifted a slender, ring covered hand that held a slim remote. She turned, aiming the control toward the far wall. Within moments the sound of music invaded the dorm room. Another figure came out of the private bath, carrying an object scattered with flames.

Aubrey took one last step in, bringing her mouth dangerously close to the guy's ear. With light laughter in her voice, she whispered gently, "Happy birthday, Perry."

Dilys came the rest of the way out with the birthday cake as balloons were released from the ceiling. Perry slumped to the floor in a fit of laughter. He turned to look up at Aubrey, mahogany eyes twinkling despite the glare he was trying to force. "Remind me to take that key away from you."

She grinned back mischievously. "That's what you get for getting the whole staff at TGIFriday's to sing 'Happy Birthday' to me. You're lucky this is all I did."

He stood, putting his hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay. You win." He looked around at the others. "You guys, on the other hand, have it coming to you!" He gave Aubrey a playful punch in the arm. "Good job, kid."

Holding on to her grin until he passed toward the cake, she finally released a wistful sigh. "Yeah . . . _kid_."

"Face it," Heather said lightly, coming to stand beside her. "You'll always be a little sister to him."

Aubrey turned and gave the girl a half-hearted smile. "Thanks for the reminder, Heather. It's not like I haven't known for years."

"Just a friendly suggestion from the Keep Aubrey Sane Foundation." Heather leaned over and put her head on Aubrey's fleece-clad shoulder. "I just want to see my best friend happy."

Aubrey sighed as she hugged her. "I am happy. I have a group of friends that I love and trust, and would do anything in the world for, as they would for me. I don't need anything else."

She watched the other girl walk away and felt slightly guilty. What she had said about her friends was true, but there was still something lacking; something keeping her from being as happy as she portrayed herself to be. It made her feel almost selfish.

With a final shrug and a deep breath, she joined the group around the cake, her heart lightening with the happy atmosphere of her friends. She stood back, admiring them.

Immediately to her right was Heather, who Aubrey had known longer than anyone else, since the day she had arrived in Incline Village. She could remember the day that she had opened the door to see a freckled-faced Heather, with unruly curls and chubby cheeks, asking if Aubrey could come over to play with her pet iguana.

On Aubrey's other side was Althea and Dilys, standing at the head of the group behind the cake, light from the candles shining playfully in their eyes. You could tell that they were best friends even if you didn't know them. They both had a look in their eyes, prepared for danger and ready to laugh at it, and were undividable.

Making them stand out completely was the presence of reserved Jonathan beside them. You wouldn't know that they ran in the same crowd, but they had since the first year of high school. All it took was him asking if he could sit at the group's lunch table the day he had arrived from San Diego. And while he seemed detached and solitary, he could be rather outgoing with them.

And then, of course, there was Perry Genet. Her heart pulled in her chest as she met his deep, captivating eyes, flickering wildly in the light of the candles. His smile was heart-stirring, and she couldn't stop herself from returning it. She just wished it didn't hurt so badly.

There was hardly a day in the past five years that they hadn't seen one another. Since the first day of high school there had been a click. Literally. A fourteen year old Aubrey Sheffield had felt it when she was assigned the seat next to the dashing boy. When she turned to say "Hello," their eyes had met, and she felt the click happen all over, head to toe. He instantly smiled and from that point on they had been inseparable. _In a very brotherly/sisterly way_, she thought distantly. And that was exactly how their bond had been, like they were the siblings that neither of them had ever had.

Of course, that bond meant more to her than anything in the world. With her father gone and her mother dead, she was only left with her spinster aunt, who had some unspoken dislike for Aubrey. Aunt Jane had never neglected her, but she had known how to make Aubrey feel low and paltry. Maybe it was because she looked so much like her "worthless, good-for-nothing" father, or the fact that she was just a burden, but Aubrey no longer cared. Years of the treatment had made Aubrey resilient to insults and, fortunately, she had a group of fantastic friends to support her.

She imagined herself as the group saw her. Tall—almost eye level with the boys and a couple of inches above the other girls. Chestnut waves fell around her face, resting haphazardly on her shoulders, and her bright eyes, always a little wistful, made her appear younger than she actually was. Nobody believed her to be a nineteen year old college sophomore.

This was the only family she needed. Throughout the years these six kids had helped each other along the way. Aubrey and Heather had moved into their apartment near campus the second graduation was over, which was quickly followed by Jonathan crashing on their couch every night. Perry got a dorm room in one of the residential halls, while Althea and Dilys had stayed with their families; they were both very family oriented.

And at that moment, they were looking over a birthday cake with twenty candles, celebrating the first person of the group to leave their teens.

"Happy birthday, Perry," Aubrey said again, more like herself than she had been earlier. "Blow out the candles."

"Yes, hurry up and blow out the candles," Dilys said anxiously, looking down at the cake that she was holding with her friend. "Wax is getting all over the frosting."

"Don't forget to make a wish," Althea said, sporting her trademark smile. Aubrey thought she saw something more hiding behind her eyes, but it was gone before she could give it a second thought.

Perry looked around the group, his eyes falling on Aubrey for a split second before turning back to the cake. Taking in an exaggerated breath, he blew hard, puffing out his cheeks. Hints of ginger and cinnamon played in the air.

Aubrey could see Althea and Dilys holding onto each others hands, wicked grins playing at their lips. Looking back at the cake, she saw that one last candle was still lit, and it didn't seem Perry would be able to get it out with one breath. She heard Althea mumble something incoherently just before the last candle went out.

And suddenly the room began to spin violently.


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: Not only do I not own any of the concepts of the Night World series, but I'm also quite broke. Everything belongs to LJS, original characters are my own.

* * *

Chapter Two

Aubrey felt hands beneath her. _Wait, beneath?_ She hadn't realized that she had fallen. After a moment the room stopped moving and she saw that she hadn't actually fallen, but had come very close. She focused on the person in front of her and recognized Jonathan's eyes, very close. _They're a very dark blue_, she thought to herself. _All these years, I always thought they were black_. His handsome face showed hints of concern.

Looking around, she noticed everyone shared the worried expression. Perry was halfway over the plush desk chair he had been sitting in, glancing towards the arm that was holding her up. Heather was rushing toward her. "Oh God, are you okay?" Her voice was frantic.

Now that she actually _was_ okay, Aubrey felt rather foolish. Her face grew warm as she replied, "Yeah, I just had a bit of a spell." She stood up on her own, giving Jonathan a smile in thanks, holding on to his arm in case she needed the support. She looked around at her friends. "I'm fine, really." To prove this, she let go of Jonathan and took a couple of steps toward the desk where they had quickly set the cake.

"Are you positive?" Perry asked, his voice fierce and filled with protection. "That didn't seem normal." He was completely out of the chair and standing near her now.

Aubrey knew for a fact that it wasn't normal, but as much as she loved having his attention, she didn't want to spoil the party. She gave a reassuring laugh, touching Perry's sleeve. "I'm okay now. If it happens again, we'll check it out. I promise."

He nodded, his face still uneasy, but noticeably calmer. He put his arms around her shoulder in a sort of half-hug. "You had me worried, kid."

She felt a pang go through her chest as their bodies were held together, as she always did, except this time it felt . . . _different_; dull and almost appalling. She pulled away, trying not to do it too hastily.

"Let's cut the cake, then," Althea said, taking one last careful look at Aubrey before pulling out the cake knife.

It was a small cake, just enough so that each person had a piece, and elaborately decorated with lemon frosting. When Aubrey took a bite her senses were attacked, combining numerous smells and tastes. There was a spicy, floral scent that reminded her of a perfume she used to have, which was immediately swept away by a slightly bitter, yet familiar taste that managed to blend perfectly with the walnuts. She looked over the cake and marvelled at how a simple white cake could be so enjoyable. She mentioned it out loud to the group.

Althea and Dilys laughed together, but Althea was the one that answered. "It's a cake that we traditionally make in my family."

Perry dropped his fork onto his plate as he turned to look at the two girls. "This is _what_?"

Althea rolled her eyes. "Oh, relax. Remember, I'm a professional."

"Hardly," he mumbled, pushing the plate away.

Aubrey looked between the two, rather confused, and saw that Heather appeared to feel the same. Neither of them said anything, but continued to watch as the battle of wits continued.

"Even if you were a 'professional', what about her?" He pointed toward Dilys. "She helped, didn't she?"

Althea looked generally upset. "It's not like she hasn't watched me do hundreds of other things like this."

Jonathan seemed completely unaware of the argument and had obviously enjoyed the cake. He was trying to scoop up the remainder that was left in the centre of the serving dish. There was a loud clink as he set the pile onto his plate.

The sound seemed to echo in the room as everyone turned to look. Perry's face was tense, while Althea's eyes grew wide in wonder. Dilys looked as if she was going to be sick.

"What is that?" Perry asked calmly.

Jonathan used his fork to separate the crumbs. At first Aubrey thought there was a rock in the cake, but after he picked it up and wiped it with a napkin, she saw that it was some sort of crystal. It was mostly cloudy and white, but appeared to be clear in some places. It was about half the size of her thumb and just as thick.

Suddenly Althea's hand was grabbing for it. "Oh, wow, I've been looking all over for this." Her voice seemed panicked. "I bet you guys are a little disgusted now, huh? Sorry. It must have fallen off of my necklace when I was baking last night." Her other hand flew out and grabbed Dilys's arm. "I wonder how that could have happened."

All the while, Aubrey had been getting dizzy again. It was almost overwhelming now as she reached for the side of the desk for balance. She took a deep breath, trying to gather her wits. "I hate to spoil the party you guys, but something _is_ wrong with me."

Heather was already next to her, offering her arm. "I'll take you home. Do you think you can walk that far?"

Before she could answer, Jonathan was already standing. "I'll drive you guys. Just let me go get my car."

Aubrey was warmed by the gesture and very relieved. She knew she wouldn't be able to make it to the apartment on foot. Her body suddenly felt very heavy. The different scents of the cake seemed to drift back toward her, weighing down her mind and eyelids.

Perry was coming towards her, offering his hand. "Here, let me help."

In that instant she knew she couldn't let him touch her. She wasn't quite sure why, but her body was controlling itself now, pulling back from him quickly before he had a chance to make contact. "That's okay."

She could see the hurt in his eyes, but she couldn't worry about it right now. Pulling back from him had drained what energy she had left. She made a movement toward the door as Heather tried to keep her up. As she stumbled, she saw Perry's arm come toward her.

"No," she whispered, but it was too late. He caught her.

The contact burned. Not in the giddy, warming way that she was used to. The pain actually made her yell out. She heard him grunt, as if something was happening to him as well, and felt his arm pull back.

She began to fall in slow motion. Everything was growing dark. There was a noise from the entry . . . a flash of red hair . . . somebody was yelling. She blacked out completely before she hit the ground.

* * *

He had let her fall.

Perry looked down at his arm, trying to figure out what had happened. There was no mark on the skin, but he could still feel the electricity running through his blood.

Althea was kneeling over Aubrey, moving her lips but not letting out a word. Dilys was standing above Althea, a whine coming from her throat that a normal human wouldn't be able to hear. Heather's face was completely white as she kept babbling hysterically in a high pitched voice. Jonathan was picking Aubrey up gently, despite Althea's attempts to keep her on the ground.

Perry just stood there, looking over the whole situation in shock.

He had let her fall. Instead of holding on, he had dropped her. Nothing like that had ever happened before. He had always been protective of Aubrey, had never let anything happen to her in all the years he had known her. He looked back at his arm as if it were some sort of animal that might attack him.

Jonathan was taking her out the door now. Heather turned to Perry, having calmed a bit, but still looking distressed. There was something like disbelief in her eyes. "We'll get together and do something when she's better." She glanced toward his arm before following Jonathan.

Althea and Dilys were coming up to follow. He could suddenly move again, forcing his good arm out in front of them to block the doorway. "You two are staying here."

Althea was stuttering, "I—I need to help—"

He turned a glare on her, cutting her sentence short. "You've helped enough." His voice was fierce and on the edge of rage. "Sit down. Now!" He put power behind the command, making sure they would obey.

The two girls looked at each other before turning toward his bed and taking a seat. Neither of them could meet his eyes. He was oddly reminded of two children who had been caught sneaking cookies before dinner.

But that wasn't the case. This was a witch and a werewolf that had been caught dabbling with magic.

Trying to stay calm, he spoke through his teeth, "Now which one of you wants to explain what happened?"

Neither of the girls said anything at first. They both just stared at their laps, fidgeting. Finally, Dilys broke the silence, still refusing to look up. "We wanted to do something special for your birthday."

"Continue."

"We . . ." Althea began. "We sort of . . . well . . . we kind of . . ."

"We enchanted the cake." Dilys cringed as she said it.

He could feel the fury building up inside of him. "What do you mean, you 'enchanted the cake'?"

Taking a deep breath, Althea began to explain. "We thought it would be fun to do a cake spell. It's the same cake that we make for birthdays in my family. It's supposed to encourage your deepest desire. You know, it helps wishes to come true. We just . . . well, we made it a little stronger. I added some extra herbs to it."

"Like?"

"Like, well, the recipe called for dandelion, hazel and bay leaf, so we put them in, just a little strong. And then I added a _tiny _bit of dogwood . . . and violet." She looked at her jewelled hands dismally.

"And a whole quartz crystal?" His voice was sarcastic and came out like suppressed anger.

At the mention of the crystal, Dilys flinched and Althea's eyes shot up to meet his. "I swear, I had nothing to do with the quartz! I know better than to throw a _whole crystal_ into a batter." She turned to glare at the girl next to her. "But I don't imagine a werewolf would know that."

"I had no clue it would do that!" Dilys pointed toward the door that Aubrey had been carried out of. "You always talk about how quartz magnifies your spells. I just thought it would make it a little stronger." She turned to look at Perry. "I had no clue." Tears were threatening to spill from her eyes. "I would never hurt Aubrey."

"Did it ever occur to you guys that this wasn't a group of _witches_ that you were making this cake for?" He spoke quietly, so the people in the neighbouring dorm rooms wouldn't hear him. "That you were, in fact, making it for _one_ witch, a werewolf, a vampire, and _three humans_!"

Althea stood up in defence. "My family has humans over for gatherings all of the time! Nothing like this has ever happened. And if it was going to affect humans so bad, why didn't anything happen to Jonathan or Heather?"

Suddenly her jaw dropped and her eyes grew wide in what almost looked like horror. "Oh, goddess." She grabbed Perry's shoulders. "What did you wish for?"

He pulled out of her grip. "What are you talking about?"

She seemed to be at some sort of breaking point. "When you were blowing out the candles, I told you to make a wish. _What did you wish for_?"

He looked around, confused. "I wished . . . my wish was for Aubrey. I wished she would stop hurting, that the sad look in her eyes would go away."

"Oh no." The tears began to spill onto Dilys's cheek.

Althea took in a deep breath. "What do you mean by 'hurting', Perry? How is Aubrey 'hurting'?"

"I can sense it in her. She hurts sometimes, even though she smiles. I want her to be happy." He had been staring in the distance as he remembered, but now he turned back to the girls. "You guys had to sense it. At least _you_ should have." He gestured at Dilys, who only shook her head in response. Surely another Night person would be able to sense the pain that Aubrey was putting out? He turned back to Althea. "But what does my wish have to do with anything? I'm amazed I even thought of anything, because I don't believe in superstitious things like wishing on birthday candles."

Althea let out a sigh of defeat. "We didn't just enchant the cake." She walked over to the desk and grabbed something. When she came back, she opened her hand to reveal three of the candles from the cake. They were a soft yellow, delicately twisted with lines of gold, and smelled of citrus and ginger. When the light ran across it, he could see that the wax glittered in many different colours.

"We stayed up all night making them. This was our gift to you. The cake was to help everyone's desires get moving, but these candles we made especially to fortify your wish. It was meant for a wish for _you_." She was getting upset again. "I didn't know you were going to make a wish for _her_, you sick, son of a—"

"_I'm_ sick?" he interrupted, catching her fists as she tried to attack his chest. "I'm not the one who enchanted a cake and birthday candles and didn't let anybody in on it!" He was breathing heavy now, no longer furious, but worried sick. "But what does that mean? What's going to happen?"

"I don't know!" she cried. "I don't know why she was hurting! I never sensed anything wrong in her. Sure, I saw the look in her eyes, but I just figured it was natural. But if you wished for her to stop hurting, and then the wish was strengthened when you ate the cake, whatever it is that hurts is going to stop."

"Maybe . . ." Dilys said softly. "Maybe she got sick from the power? We've already agreed that the cake spell was too strong, right? Add to that the power of the candles; she might have just been overwhelmed by the energy that was going through her."

"Yeah, maybe," Perry said softly. It sounded possible, but something still felt wrong at the back of his mind.

"Whatever it is," Althea said, "we can't to anything about it right now. I hate to say it, but we have to wait and see what happens. Once she's awake we can try to figure out exactly what's going on."

He groaned. He knew it was the truth. And he was suddenly very, very tired. "Okay. But I want one of you to go over there and check on her, make sure she's okay."

A sardonic appearance came over Dilys's features. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you sounded like one of us damned Daybreakers."

He turned a glare on the wolf. "I'm neutral, not stupid."

Althea looked him over. "There's going to be a time when you can't be neutral anymore."

Perry had had enough. "I don't want to listen to anymore of your babble about the Millennium Battle, especially right now. I need to relax. Please leave me be."

The girls started making their way to the door, but Dilys continued. "Just remember, Perry, the Council isn't going to allow for any tolerance of humans if they win. At least in Circle Daybreak we're fighting to keep them alive."

He let out an aggravated sigh. "Joining Daybreak would be like having a death-wish. My parents alone would make sure I died for it. Granted, I might be concerned about a human and be friends with some, and I even support what you're doing, but that doesn't mean I have to be a part of a group that's asking to be killed by the Council and the Redfern family. I prefer living quietly and not breaking Night World Law."

Just before she closed the door, Althea looked back at him, giving him a knowing look that said more than she dare say out loud, and that he intended on ignoring.

* * *

_Thanks to Rhia and incarnated-soul for the wonderful reviews. Just as a note, I wanted to let everyone reading this know that I'm staying a few chapters ahead, trying to prevent anything from distracting me and to keep from getting behind on updates. I'm going to try my best, so please keep reading, and let me know what you think. _


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: Not only do I not own any of the concepts of the Night World series, but I'm also quite broke. Everything belongs to LJS, original characters are my own.

* * *

Chapter Three

Perry closed the curtains to the dorm room. It had been a very good dramatic detail, opening the curtains to expose the bright sunlight when they had surprised him. After all, it did inhibit a vampire's powers and could cause some—pardon the pun—_blinding_ pain. If he hadn't fed before he'd arrived, he might still be cowered in the corner where she had trapped him.

What he didn't understand was _how_ Aubrey had known to do that. He hadn't intentionally spied into her thoughts; she just didn't know how to cover them. She had broadcasted her pride in creating such a wonderful birthday surprise for him. Every part of it had been her idea. If she only knew what the Night World was and that it was all around her, she might be able to learn how to control her thoughts.

Unfortunately, she was a human, and didn't know that vampires, witches, and shapeshifters existed outside of fairy tales. Therefore, she didn't know that three of her best friends were one of each. That's what made the sunlight part of her plan so confusing to him; if she didn't know he was a vampire, how did she know that the curtains needed to be opened to make the surprise that much stronger?

As much as he would like to think that Althea or Dilys had hinted the idea to her, he knew they wouldn't have. That was the deal the three of them had made a long time ago: No matter what organization they were a part of, they were to make sure that Jonathan, Heather, and Aubrey were not to find out that they were friends with Night People. The wolf and the witch might be Daybreakers and have plenty of human friends that knew what they were, but the ones that were closest to them could not find out. The last thing they wanted was for something to happen to the three most important humans in their lives.

_Especially Aubrey_, Perry thought. He immediately scolded himself for it. He knew for a fact that he cared about her above everyone else in the group. That didn't mean he needed to break Night World Law.

That's what Althea had been saying with her eyes before she left, that perhaps he had already broken one of the two laws that he had lived by his whole life. One was to never tell a human about the Night World. He obviously hadn't done that. The other was to never fall in lo—well, maybe the less he thought about that law, the better.

As long as he never admitted it to himself or to anyone aloud, she was safe. Nothing would ever happen to her as long as he just sucked it up and ignored the feelings. And that's how he planned on the situation staying.

He lay silently on the bed, staring at the ceiling as the world outside grew dark. In spite of everything his kind stood for, he still worried about Aubrey.

* * *

Aubrey woke with a start. Her dreams had been absolutely terrifying, and even awake she was still scared. She grabbed for them, trying to recollect what they had been so that maybe she could analyze and try to understand them, but they disintegrated from her mind before she could remember.

Breathing heavy and attempting to see in the darkness, she tried to figure out where she was. As her eyes adjusted, she realized that she was safe in the comfort of her own bed, but she couldn't remember how she got there. She couldn't even remember what day it was. There was something amiss, and she couldn't quite capture what it was.

There had been something going on. The group had been celebrating something, and she had gotten sick. She could only catch pieces of the event in her mind: Heather being worried, Althea's sinister smile, red and gold leaves, dark blue eyes, the smell of citrus in the air, Jonathan catching her.

The thought of Jonathan made her feel flustered for some reason. Confused, she turned on the bedside lamp, blinking at the sudden brightness. Feeling around blindly, her hands finally closed on something round. She brought the clock close to her face to find that it was almost midnight.

Pulling off the sheets, she swung her feet over the edge of the bed, still fully dressed. She picked up her messenger bag from the floor and pulled out her planner, immediately opening it to the marked-off week.

_Perry's birthday_, she realized, reading over the page. It was Thursday, and they had been celebrating Perry's twentieth birthday. The party _she_ had planned. Now, why had she forgotten that?

She sat back, the afternoon rushing back at her. The last thing she remembered was trying to make it to the door, so that Perry wouldn't try to help her. She had felt extremely out of sorts, very dizzy and unlike her usual self.

But now she felt magnificent, as if some heavy burden had been lifted from her mind. She stood up and made a trip around the room to assure herself that she was okay. She didn't even feel light-headed. Of course, she _had_ been out for almost nine hours.

The thought struck a new pain inside of her: hunger. Reaching for the door handle, she made her way into the darkened hallway, noticing that Heather's door was shut. Trying to be quiet, Aubrey tiptoed past the door and into the living room. Once out of the hallway, she saw a clump of person on the couch, Adidas hanging over the arm, remote control in hand.

On closer inspection she saw that it was Jonathan, eyes closed and lightly breathing. With a grin, she went to the linen closet and batted down an old quilt. She quietly placed it over the sleeping boy and found herself admiring the way the light from the television played on his cheekbones. The moment was ruined by a loud snore as he changed positions.

She covered her mouth to keep from laughing and made her way toward the kitchen, quietly digging through the fridge. Resolving on a bowl of chocolate chip ice cream, she began to head back to her room, stopping along the way to turn off the television. Before she could make it to the power button, however, her leg came in contact with Heather's exquisitely crafted coffee table with a loud thud.

"Ow!" she cried, before quickly moving a hand over her mouth again. Slowly, she turned to see Jonathan stirring. Forgetting the TV, she tried to make it into the hallway without waking him completely.

"Aubrey?" he said quietly, his voice full of sleep.

She had almost made it. "Yeah, it's me. I didn't mean to wake you. I'm just heading back to my room now."

"Wait," he said, and she saw that he was standing.

"Oh, don't worry about me. Go back to sleep." She put her free hand up, motioning for him to go back to the couch.

He came up to her instead and grabbed the hand she held out. "Are you okay? We were all so worried."

A smile touched her lips. "I'm fine now. I feel wonderful, actually. I guess I've just run myself down, with studying and trying to plan the party and all."

He still looked at her, eyes full of concern. "Are you sure? I can take you to the hospital if you need to go. Althea wouldn't let us. She said that all you needed was some rest, but I think you really need a doctor—"

"Jonathan, I'm fine. Really." She gave his hand a squeeze and realized that he was still holding hers. She felt slightly comforted by it and didn't let go. "And if you've been up all night worrying, then I want you to go back to bed. We all have classes tomorrow and I'm the only one who's had any sleep."

He looked at their hands and then at the clock. "I was only out for a few minutes. I'm supposed to wait up for Althea. She ran home to get something and said she'd be back in a while." He was quiet for a second, before saying, "You could hang out here with me. We could keep each other company. And I can also keep an eye on you in case you decide to pass out again."

She nodded. "Okay. But when she gets back I want you to go to sleep." She let go of his hand, noticing the sudden empty feeling of her own, and headed toward the couch. "What are we watching?"

He looked at the television as if it had just appeared. "Oh. I don't really know. I think I left it on an infomercial for steak knives."

She chuckled, taking a spoonful of half-melted ice cream. She noticed that he seemed cautious sitting next to her, as if he was afraid to get too close. "I don't think I'm contagious, if that's what you're worried about."

He looked at her, then to the couch. "Huh? Oh. No, I'm just a little worried about you still, I guess."

She saw the truth of his statement in his eyes. "You really are, aren't you?" She hadn't thought of her fainting as that big of a deal, especially now that she was fine, but she wondered how serious it had actually been.

There was something like shock in his appearance. "Of course I am. You were out for so long, and nobody could wake you up."

Aubrey felt slightly confused, moving around the liquid at the bottom of the bowl with her spoon. "It's hard to remember what happened. The whole day is just a blur. And it's odd, because I really do feel great right now. I can't remember the last time I felt this good. Maybe when my mom was still alive. Well, not that good, but close. I mean, I can't even remember that much from when I was that young, it's kind of blanked out." She realized she was babbling. "Anyway, I'm okay. Honest."

"I can't be too careful." Jonathan seemed to relax a bit. "You said you can't remember much from when you were a kid. Do you remember your mom?"

Aubrey nodded, a spoon of ice cream in her mouth. When she was able to speak again, she said, "I remember what she looked like and some of the things she used to tell me about my dad."

"Like what?" He turned slightly toward her, listening.

She thought for a moment. "Well, she would tell me that he would be back someday. That he didn't really leave us, he had left to fight and would be back, like he was in the military. She'd go on about how handsome he was and how much they loved each other. Things like that. Over time I came to realize that she was probably just saying it to make me feel better. They were young kids when she had me, still in their teens. I could understand if he flipped out and ran."

"You never knew him?"

"Nope." She took another bite of ice cream.

"Why don't you try to find him?"

She laughed lightly. "I did a few years ago, when we were still in high school. Aunt Jane thought I was _crazy_. I tried anyway. There were no records of Daniel Sheffield in any of the California military records that I could get my hands on. I eventually found a death certificate from Boulder City; He died in a car accident a few months before I was born."

"Oh, wow." Jonathan's eyes widened slightly. "I'm sorry."

Waving her hand as if to brush away the condolence, she replied, "Don't be. I never knew him, and I've never felt it was that big of a deal."

They fell into silence, watching as a slightly balding man tried to cut through concrete with a normal kitchen knife. She was very aware of Jonathan's presence beside her. She found herself wanting to lean into him, to feel the comfort of his body against hers. It was all coming to life in her mind: all she had to do was tilt toward him just the slightest bit, and he would wrap his arms around her, holding her. She would be able to tell him everything about her, and he would listen, occasionally touching his lips to her cheek . . .

She shook herself mentally. What was she doing? This was _Jonathan_. He was her friend, one of her best friends. She had never had a romantic thought about him in all the years she had known him, even if he was actually quite handsome. She'd never really noticed how much until recently.

_There's a reason you haven't noticed_, her mind whispered.

She knew there was truth to the thought, but she couldn't follow it. And now she found herself starting to lean. She wasn't sure if she was just curious or if this was what she really wanted, but it was about to happen. She was about to make contact . . .

Her thoughts were interrupted by a light knocking on the front door. She sat back rather quickly, and saw out of the corner of her eye that Jonathan had noticed. There wasn't time to dwell on it; Althea was slipping in the door.

"Aubrey, you're awake!" she announced, startled. "How are you feeling?"

Aubrey smiled, glad that the room was too dark to show that she was blushing. "I'm pretty good."

Althea set a black backpack on the ground next to the door. "I'm glad to hear it." She sat on the reclining chair, giving Aubrey an analyzing look. "So, no dizziness or sick feelings? Nothing different than what you're used to?"

"Besides feeling exceptionally better than usual? Not really."

The other girl's eyebrows went up. "Good. I'll have to let Perry know. He wanted me to call him when you woke up."

The thought of Perry disturbed Aubrey, bringing both guilt and a dull throb into her head. She had been very close to flirting with Jonathan. She felt ashamed, even if she wasn't romantically involved with Perry. But she still couldn't stop thinking about Jonathan . . .

_Jonathan stayed by to make sure you were okay_, her mind whispered. _Where's Perry?_

All of these thoughts swirled around her mind, going too fast and making her rather dizzy again. Nowhere near as bad as before, but it was still uncomfortable. There was a distant hint of cinnamon in the air.

She could see Jonathan and Althea watching her, and she knew she had to get out of the living room. "I'm going to go lie down and do a little studying." She stood slowly, making sure that they didn't notice that she was slightly unsteady. She pointed at Jonathan. "You need to get to bed."

With that, she escaped to the hallway with controlled steps, wishing Althea a good night. As soon as she knew she was out of sight she put her hands to the wall, keeping her balance. Concentrating on something besides Perry had made her feel better, and she decided to actually study when she got to her room. She didn't want to think of boys anymore tonight.

* * *

Althea watched Aubrey leave the room. The other girl had seemed rather anxious at the mention of Perry, but maybe it was just her imagination. She turned to look at Jonathan, noticing that he had a confused look on his face as he stared intently at the coffee table. "You okay, Jon?"

For a moment he didn't say anything, didn't even look up. Then he shook his head and met Althea's eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just . . . I'm fine."

She raised an eyebrow again. "You can tell me, you know. We've been friends long enough that you can confide in me."

He gave a sort of half grin. "I know. Just, right before you knocked, Aubrey and I had been sitting here. I felt like something was different between us."

She moved to the edge of the chair. "Like there was a new distance between you?"

He shook his head. "No. Like there was _no_ distance. As if we were closer than ever. I imagine that sounds insane."

"No, of course not."

"I didn't realize it until you knocked. She jerked back. It was . . . I don't know. It was weird."

Althea looked over him carefully. _Could this be what Aubrey's deepest desire was? To be with Jonathan?_ She let it go for a while, letting it move around her head. She leaned back in the chair and watched the television, not really seeing it.

After a few moments she remembered that she had to call Perry. Excusing herself, she stepped outside with her cell phone. She looked out over the dark parking lot as it rang on the other end.

"Hello?" His voice sounded physically tired.

"Hey Perry, it's me."

"How is she?" he asked, his tone changing to one of concern.

"She's fine. I guess she woke up while I was gone." She could hear him let out a sigh. "She said she felt better than usual."

"So, you think that means she's going to be okay?"

Althea found that she was biting her lip. "Well, here's the thing . . ." She described to him what she had seen of Aubrey, leaving out what Jonathan had said. She felt that it would violate their friendship if she told Perry what Jon had shared with her. "Something's up, but she's not going to let anyone know. I get the impression that she's scared of whatever is happening."

"We have to find out what her deepest desire is."

"We have to find out what _everyone's_ desires are. If anyone else wanted something that involved her, it means that even more power is pulling at the universe toward her."

"But how do we find out what they wished for? We can't just walk up to a group of humans and say, 'Hey, tell us what you want so that we can figure out how to undo a spell.'" His voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Leave it to me. I'll find out, one way or another." This wasn't the place for her to be having this conversation. "I'm going to go. I'll get Dilys and we'll meet tomorrow after classes at my house. My mom might be able to help us."

She shut the phone and went back inside. Jonathan was still sitting on the couch, only now he seemed to be drifting. She leaned over and picked up the backpack she had brought, not needing the charms and herbs inside anymore.

He looked up at the noise. "You going?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I have a test at ten."

He lounged back on the couch, nodding. "I have a class at eight."

As she was about to turn toward the door, she decided to give it a shot. "Can I ask you something, Jonathan?"

He grunted.

"What do you want, more than anything in the world?"

He lifted his head slightly to look at her. Meeting her eyes, he laughed. "I thought after today it would be obvious." He looked in the direction of the hallway.

The direction that Aubrey had gone.

He was continuing as he stared off at nothing. "I can't remember the last time I wanted anything more than Aubrey."

Althea held back the breath of astonishment her lungs wanted to take in. She merely nodded and said, "Goodnight, Jon," before closing the door behind her.

* * *

* * *

_I'm slowly moving through the chapters, hence the delay in posting this one. I've had some fanlistings and other writings that I've been working on, plus my writing muse decided to be fickle with me last week. Fortunately, I've developed more to the outline of this story, so I should be getting the chapters out more quickly._

_Reviewers:_

_Old Penguin_: Wow. I don't believe I've ever had anyone read into my stories in such a depth before, and you've understood the characters so well. Thank you for all of the wonderful compliments you showered upon me! I'm trying to put myself more into this story than I have with any of the others. As for what this fic has in store, we'll see in the next few upcoming chapters. I hope this one is as good as you've deemed the previous.

_calito_: Thank you for reviewing! Sorry I haven't updated sooner. I'm trying to set a pace, which is difficult to do when your muses decide to run away for the week. My next update will be more timely, I promise. I hope you like this chapter.

_fate22_: Thank you for the review! I'm not as quick to update as you, but I'm glad that you've enjoyed my story so far. I patiently await your next chapter, and I hope you do the same for me. Don't worry, I'm going to have some wonderful sap in this story as well (did you ever doubt me?). You'll find your answers soon. Enjoy!

_Rhiannon_: My ever-faithful writing partner! I'm so glad you've enjoyed the story so far. Your compliments mean so much. If it weren't for you, this fic might not be! I hope you enjoyed the final result of this chapter.


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